kinda looks like christmas

The cake is iced, the tree is decorated..kinda looks like Christmas.

christmas cake - √

The Christmas cake is made. I bake it in a wooden box which cooks it perfectly with no burnt edges. It has been 'fed' with brandy top and bottom, wrapped and put away. I will feed it once more at the beginning of December then again when I ice it. Feels good to be organised and I know it will taste all the better for it.

celebrating kaffe

Today I wandered out my front door to find a parcel of Kaffe shot cottons that had arrived, all the way from America.

Any then my friend Paula, completely out of the blue, sent me a link to a Kaffe video. It must be a day for celebrating Kaffe.
This is the link she sent me.


Then I explored Vimeo for some more movies and found these two:


Kaffe 2014: The Colourful World of Kaffe Fassett from Animated Magic on Vimeo.


Meet Kaffe Fassett on Creativebug from Creativebug on Vimeo.
It just makes you want to get out all your fabrics and start playing!

birthday bash

We all survived the joint birthday party! Max was very excited and Iggy was quite oblivious but happy to tag along. An extremely hectic but fun event held at their Playcentre due to inclement weather. That brought back memories from long ago. The boys loved their gifts and the cakes!

 

whaingaroa

the grandies

My two grandsons are about to celebrate their birthdays at a combined birthday party. That should be fun.! Obviously I'm biased but I think they're pretty cute. Iggy is so much more grown up looking than Max was at that age due to his head of hair and Max has a great grasp of language and strong opinios for a soon to be three year old.

IMG 7470 from Sheryl Madigan on Vimeo.

playing with kaffe

I have been having fun playing with bright large print patterned Kaffes on a sand coloured linen fabric.Somehow the linen just pulls together a diverse range of colours and designs. Lots of possibilities.

I have finished!

I began this quilt in January 2010 - see post I have started!
Wow, it took me 4 years to complete. I have made two other quilts in that time but it certainly shows just how unproductive I am. It sat for several years waiting to be quilted and actually I really enjoyed machine quilting it once I got started. And of course there's the issue that I began this quilt when in a very traditional phase, and now I would have preferred something less traditional.
Note to self - plan, make and complete a quilt within a year of beginning!
However it does look nice on the sofa.

mille feuillé

I loved custard squares as a child. However as I aged and my palette became more sophisticated I was aware of the gluggy pastry and the Edmonds custard. Then I went to Europe and had a genuine French mille feuille. So this is what the bastardised NZ version is based on? Divine.
A mad french woman named Marianne opened a cafe in town about 10 years ago and she made her own mille feuille with passionfruit icing - great kiwi modification! Predictably the cafe was sold to the usual conglomerate that purchases and destroys many excellent cafes in NZ, but that's another story. However since then I have gradually mastered the art of making mille feuille. They are not yet perfect and unless I become a french pastry chef then they are probably as good as they will get and that's pretty good.
There is quite an involved process in making them and I only make then once a year for either Mothers day or my birthday - which could be why they took so long to perfect. Maybe there is another mille feuille addict out there that will appreciate all my 'research'.

To make 8 large or 16 small mille feuille.
Pastry Creme
4 cups of milk
2/3 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of standard cake flour
6 egg yolks
vanilla extract

Separate the eggs, put yolks in a large heatproof bowl and beat in sugar until pale - about 1 minute.
Sprinkle flour over top and beat until combined.
Heat milk carefully until just about to simmer.
Ladle milk into egg mixture one spoon at a time and beat between each addition to ensure egg does not curdle.
Pour mixture back into saucepan and gradually bring to boil stirring constantly so it does not catch on the bottom. When cooked add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Pour into a dish and cover with Gladwrap pushed down onto the top of the creme to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate over night.

Pastry
I use Edmonds flakey puff pastry sheets. When I retire, I will learn to make my own.
Place the pastry sheets between two sheets of baking paper weighed down with another tray or two to keep pastry flat. Bake at 210 degrees on a hot tray for 16 minutes.
Remove from oven, remove trays and top baking paper. Sprinkle generously with icing sugar and return to oven. Watch carefully as sugar caramelises then remove quickly from oven before it burns.
Flip pastry sheet over and repeat on other side. Cool on wire trays.

Icing
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
passionfruit pulp
Heat approximately 1/4 to 1/3 cup of passionfruit pulp in the microwave and add to icing sugar gradually. Adjust quantities as needed to make a thick but smooth icing.

Assembly
Spread half on the pastry creme over the first sheet of pastry ensuring it goes all the way to the edge.
Place the next sheet of pastry on, repeat and add top sheet of pastry. Ice with passionfruit icing.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes minimum. You will be amazed at how well this cuts with a sharp knife. The custard creme does not ooze out when you cut it. You can trim the edges if you want perfect looking mille feuille or leave them for a more rustic look. They are best eaten on the day they are assembled for crisp pastry. Bon appetite!

raglan-by-the-sea

A visit home is not complete without a trip out to Raglan.

a visitor

Daniel came home for a visit from Shanghei after 9 months away, to meet his nephew Iggy.

lake rotoroa

Lake Rotoroa is in the middle of Hamilton. Some people call it a puddle. The 4 1/2 kilometre walk around it makes for a good walk. Every time you notice something different.

 If you go early enough there is often a hot air balloon to be seen.

 The water lilies open when the sun is out.

Even the birds look miserable when you get caught in the rain.

high hopes

I had high hopes of a great concert, and was in no way disappointed.

Edit this setlist | More Bruce Springsteen setlists

waitete swinging

waitete bay

Everyone has their favourite beach. Mine is Waitete Bay. I'm probably influenced by my father, who always preferred places that were isolated. None of this sharing the picnic spot with others. So beaches such as The Mount and Whangamata do nothing for me. In fact, I don't feel like I've been to the beach or had a summer until I've been 'up the Coro'.
Waitete Bay is north of Coromandel Town. When and/or if I ever win the lotto, that is where I would buy a bach.

when life gives you lemons

When life gives you lemons...make lemon curd.
I love lemons. Lots of people had a bumper crop last year (2013). Thank you Olive and Mum - I made a double batch of lemon curd for Christmas.